As already previously (and shamefully) admitted, I am probably the most inconsistent blogger-being ever created. There isn’t an excuse in the book valid enough to explain why I’ve been such a terrible blogger. At times, I just feel uninspired (for the lack of a better word) to blog. You guys sure you don’t want me to just exit?Life just gets in the way sometimes.

During those weeks that I wasn’t blogging, I’d been constantly receiving postcards, such as these Studio Ghibli postcards:

Princess Mononoke

Spirited Away

Kiki’s Delivery Service

Obviously, since I’d been away for too long, I’d received more than these. But my spirits are not in the mood to write thoroughly about postcards. Sorry to disappoint. I am hoping for a better comeback. In the mean time, I wish everyone a Happy Postcrossing!

Alas, after a 2-week escape into my parents’ province, I am back with an almost embarrassing amount of backlogs in my inbox. Beginning with these two postcards from Kalina of Poland. They are available at Postallove if you’re obsessed with mail-themed stuff. Their postcards are of good quality and I bet their other products won’t disappoint. And if I’m not mistaken, the owners are also Postcrossers – so they understand the needs of the most nitpicky of postcard collectors. 🙂

Perched perfectly on the edge of the Aurora Cliff, overlooking the Black Sea, the Swallow’s Nest has appeared several times in Soviet films.Visitors can only go near the castle’s vicinity; visitors have been denied entry to the castle for more than four decades now after an earthquake left a crack on the Aurora Cliff.

Although this postcard came from Russia, Crimea is currently a disputed territory between Russia and Ukraine – which reminds me of an ongoing maritime dispute between China and the Philippines.

Here is a postcard from Frisco, Texas. It has a matching stamp which reminds me of the recently held Earth Hour.

If I made this post last week, right before the Earth Hour, that would’ve been on-point. Unfortunately, the Earth Hour wasn’t given much importance in the Philippines and I can tell that by how it was advertised. I DIDN’T KNOW IT WAS SCHEDULED ON THE 28TH OF MARCH. I know there’s an annual event called the “Earth Hour”, but I never came across any advertisement for this year’s. Not even a post on my timeline on the day itself made me aware of what was happening. I haven’t talked to someone who observed the Earth Hour. But deep in my heart I wish it was successful even without my cooperation.

Normally, as soon as it reflects on my Postcrossing account that I have one address left to send a postcard to, I would click the ‘Request address’ button with excitement. But not this time. 0 out of 9 traveling postcards means I have no more outgoing postcards. My long unemployment means my funds have been drained. I am never quitting Postcrossing. However, my situation requires that I get a job first if I want to sustain this hobby of mine. So please say a little prayer for me. 😉

My second Studio Ghibli postcard came from Chang of Huanggong, China. Released in 2001 and written, drawn, and directed by Studio Ghibli’s then director Hayao Miyazaki (hailed by the New Yorker as the “auteur of anime”, Spirited Away was easily Japan’s highest grossing movie at the time, overtaking the Titanic, and went as far as winning an Academy Award. Disney was so impressed, they bought the distribution rights of the animated film, but on the condition that they would not cut or alter any part of it. The first screening was also held at the Pixar Studio in California. I cannot advertise this film enough, and neither could the Disney team. 🙂